Candy seems to be one of those things that I cannot give up completely. At times I must admit, I will go on binges. I have been known to sit and eat seven or eight Reese's peanut butter cups in one sitting.

Then a few years ago I got the idea of making some of my favorite candies at home.

First, let me answer the obvious question. Why would I want to make a recipe at home when I can buy it in the store?

While I would generally agree with that sentiment, sometimes it is good to get away from the traditional desserts served during gatherings. And if you bring out a plate full of the three items below, they are sure to be a hit. After all, who does not like a Snicker bar?

Most of the food we buy in the grocery stores in full of junk and these recipes are no exception. However, making these recipes at home will at least give you the option of controlling some of the ingredients that go into them.

I have read other people say that no matter how accurate the recipe is, it never tastes the same when you make it at home because you have not added additional preservatives and the high fructose corn syrup that is in just about every product sold.

Nevertheless, if you landed on this article you are probably curious at the very least. Here are three of my favorite snack recipes with my own twist.

One thing I should point out. If the recipe called for adding any salt, I skipped that part. Some of the other ingredients have plenty of salt in them already. In fact, 95% of our salt intake comes from processed foods.

Also, if it called for adding sugar or powdered sugar, I substituted that with Stevia.

How to Make Girl Scout Mint Cookies

Everyone I know loves these. The peanut butter ones are good too.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees before combining the cake mix, eggs, water, cooking oil, and cocoa in a large bowl. Blend it thoroughly with a hand mixer.  Let the mixture set for 20 minutes.

Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Shape the mixture into small 1/2 inch balls and place them on a cookie sheet about 2 inches apart, then press them down flat with a large spoon Credit: Carol Spears via WikiCommonssprayed with non-stick spray to keep the mixture from sticking to the spoon.

Place the cookie sheet into the oven and bake for about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven, then let them set until they reach room temperature.

Chocolate Coating:

Place the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and melt them completely in the microwave. Remove from the microwave and add no more than a few drops of the mint flavoring.

Dip the cookies into the melted chocolate and let dry before serving. Nestle Chocolate Semi-Sweet Morsels - 72 oz. bag Amazon Price: $8.00 Buy Now(price as of Dec 1, 2016)

How to Make Reese's Peanut Butter Cups Credit: Evan-Amos via Wikicommons

You will need a double boiler and some cupcake liners for this recipe.

Place the chocolate chips, chocolate bars, and a 1/4 cup of peanut butter in top of double boiler over hot water. However, do not boil the water. Stir the mixture until it is creamy smooth.

Cut the cupcake liners down to a height of 1 inch. Now spoon half of the chocolate mixture equally into each of liners. This particular recipe will make about 12 cupcake sized individual cups.

Now melt the rest of the peanut butter in the top of the double boiler over hot water, then spoon it equally over the chocolate layer in the cupcake liners. Use the remaining chocolate to cover the peanut butter, then place in the refrigerator to allow the cups to set before serving. Hamilton Beach 64650 6-Speed Classic Stand Mixer, Stainless Steel Amazon Price: $42.46 Buy Now(price as of Dec 1, 2016)

How to Make Snickers Candy Bar Credit: Evan-Amos https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Evan-Amos/Candy

I never really thought about these having peanut butter in them, but I guess it makes sense.

Blend the corn syrup, butter, vanilla extract and peanut butter with a high speed blender until creamy. Stir in the Stevia and blend again.

When the blend has thickened, remove it from the mixing bowl and press it into a 9 x 13 inch oven pan. Make sure you apply a non-stick spray to the pan first. Leave the pan in the refrigerator while you complete the other part of the recipe.

In a sauce pan over low heat, melt all of the caramels, then mix in the peanuts.  Remove the pan from the fridge and pour this mixture over the nougat in the pan you created earlier. Leave it in the refrigerator to cool.

After a half hour,  melt the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. The mixture in the fridge should now be hard enough to cut. Cut as desired in the pain so that it resembles a candy bar shape.

Poke each section with a fork and dip it into the melted chocolate and place on wax paper. Finally, store them in the refrigerator for about a half hour before serving.

I think you will enjoy all of these treats. Nordic Ware Classic Metal 9x13 Covered Cake Pan Amazon Price: $24.00 $12.05 Buy Now(price as of Dec 1, 2016)
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2014-06-02 12:39am PDT Well done article, mjpyro. I believe that some foods are better homemade than if you eat store products. I love Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and never turn one down. I will definitely try these recipes and thank you for sharing!

2014-06-04 3:31pm PDT *heavy breathing*... looks like it's time to do some baking.
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